Williamson County's longest serving commissioner wants to add a ninth term to his tenure.

Bert Chalfant, 81, of Brentwood, filed his petition to run for reelection on Tuesday. He represents District 7.

Chalfant was first elected to the county commission in 1986, and has sat on its various committees over more than three decades. He retired last year from the Tennessee Public Utility Commission.

Five others have pulled petitions to run for the commission in District 7, but Chalfant is the first to file his petition. Bobby Hullett, who was appointed as an interim commissioner for that district last February, is running for Rep. Charles Sargent's seat in the Tennessee General Assembly.

As he's watched the county's population explode — from 81,000 in 1990 to more than 219,000 in 2016 — Chalfant said continued funding for essential public services, especially law enforcement, remain at the forefront of his priorities.

"Over the last number of years, we have been very critical on reviewing the internal requirements of all the different agencies in the county. They really haven't gotten a lot of extra help," Chalfant said. "Education has been the primary."

Chalfant is also a longtime supporter of the Williamson County Medical Center, and has sat on its board of trustees for more than two decades.

"Even though it is supervised by the commission, the hospital has not cost the residents of Williamson County anything," Chalfant said. "It's probably the primary asset of the county, and it's an asset (that) belongs to the people of the county."

Chalfant said he would tell newcomers running for the commission to "be involved in your own community, and you'll learn more (about) what's happening for the overall county."

About the election

Williamson County residents can vote for county commissioners representing their district on Thursday, Aug. 2. The county primary election is May 1. The commission includes 12 districts, with two seats in each district. County commissioners review and vote on budgets for all departments of county government, set the county's property tax rate and review other resolutions related to county needs.